There's a new flagship Hyundai Tucson in town – the N Line model was released to local media this week and apart from looking sportier, it has a few other off-road tricks up its stylish sleeve. We subjected it to a slippery Van der Stel Pass during a torrential downpour in the Western Cape to see how it would cope.
Got R800 000 for a premium SUV? Wait: There aren’t many premium SUVs in this price range, unless you’re buying used. But you want a new car? Why not opt for the new flagship Hyundai Tucson N Line AT AWD? (Read our review on the 2.0-litre turbodiesel Elite model here.)
The Tucson range (read our 2022 launch report), which starts at R561 900 for the 2.0-litre Premium model, is a stellar buy, but what if you want 1) a diesel powertrain 2) premium features like adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assistance, which gently steers you around the bends all on its own? And 3) sporty good looks? and 4) an interior befitting a premium performance model? Hang on… you want to go off the beaten track on weekends so you’d want all-wheel-drive as well. Well, hang on to your hat, because the N Line model comes as heavily armed as a SWAT team snuffing out terrorists in Iraq. But before we delve into the new variant, let’s take a look where it fits in:
Tucson 2.0 Premium AT | R561 900 |
Tucson 2.0 Executive AT | R613 900 |
Tucson 2.0 Elite AT | R683 900 |
Tucson 2.0D Elite AT | R749 900 |
Tucson 2.0D N-Line AT AWD (driven on launch) | R799 900 |
What sets the N Line apart from the Elite model?
Hyundai has thrown all this aforementioned kit at the new N Line model. It is styled to perfection (it gets new bumpers and a slightly more interesting grille, N Line badging, bigger 19-inch wheels with some of the coolest rims we’ve seen in a while), a sporty interior trim (including a combination of suede and leather seats with red accents, along with metal pedals), and grippy all-wheel drive.
It features all the self-driving tech and other luxury specifications already present in the Elite model, like adaptive cruise control, a lane watchdog, power tailgate, heated/ventilated seats, large display, and wireless charging pad, to name but a few. Its peppy power figures are identical to the turbodiesel Elite model (137 kW and 416 Nm).
On the road with the Hyundai Tucson N-Line
It had been raining all night when I arrived at the launch, and continued to rain all throughout the day, but we decided to tackle the wet-and-wild dirt section from Grabouw to Gabriëlskloof wine farm via the Van der Stel Pass nonetheless. Despite being pelted by water for almost 18 hours, the road wasn’t in poor shape, but the mud had become quite deep.
Thank Goodness for all-wheel-drive, because when there are four wheels turning instead of two, there’s just so much more grip, and when the available traction is very little (on snow or in this instance, mud), you can accelerate better with little to no tyre slippage.
The N Line model features selectable off-road modes and I selected the Mud setting which modifies the all-wheel-drive system’s power distribution, sending power to the wheels that can grip the ground better and reducing wheel spin. Mud is probably the most challenging off-road surface to navigate, but the Tucson took it in its stride, instilling a sense of confidence which inspired some spirited driving. The Tucson felt surefooted and didn’t slip or fishtail in any way that gets the adrenaline pumping too much. Traction control can be turned off, which is is advisable in very slippery conditions.
The Tucson attained a 5-star EuroNCAP safety rating with standard equipment.
Verdict
Filled to the brim with goodies while returning a consumption figure of only 6.9 litres per 100 km, makes buying the N Line model a no-brainer, especially if you have adventurous intentions and a taste for the finer things in life.
Buying used? Find out what you need to know about the previous-generation Tucson.
Keyword: 2023 Hyundai Tucson N Line (2023) - First Drive Review